Mounting for turret or barbette guns.



No. 658,704 Patented 'Sept. 25, 1900. A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

MOUNTING FOR TURBET 0R BARBETTE GUNS.

Application filed Oct. 24, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheats$heet l.

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No. 658,704. Patented Sept.,25, 1900.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE. MOUNTING FOB TURRET 0R BARBETTE GUNS.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1899.)

3 She'eis-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 658,704. Patented Sept. 25, I900.- A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

MOUNTING FOR TURRET 0R BABBETTE GUNS.

(Application filed on. 24, 1899. (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF LONDON, AND JAMES HORNE, OF BARROIV- IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE VIOKERS, SONS & MAXIM, LIMITED, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

MOUNTING FOR TURRET OR BARBETTE GUNS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,704, dated September 25, 1900.

Application filed October 24, 1899.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, residing at 28 Victoria street, Westminster, London, and JAMESHORNE, residing at Barrow-in-Furness, county of Lancaster, England, citizens of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mountings for Turret and Barbette Guns of Medium Caliberand Apparatus Connected i0 Therewith, (for which we have applied for a patent in Great Britain, dated May 4, 1899, No. 9,417,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to apparatus for elevating turret or barbette guns,wnich We construct and operate as we shall describe, referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a side view with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an end View, partly sectional. Fig. 3 is a part plan, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, of the hydraulic elevatinggear for a single gun according to our invention.

For working by hydraulic pressure the lower front end of the gun-cradle ct has an eye connected by a pair of links 12 to the guided cross-head a, fixed on the piston-rod of the hydraulic cylinder cl, secured to a portion (1 of the carriage by means of the bolts c, and to either end of which fluid under pressure is admitted by moving a slide-valve 1, governing an exhaust-port 2, and two ports communicating by pipes 3 and 4 with the two ends of the cylinder d. For elevating by, hand-gear the rear end of the cradle a has jointed to it the upperends of apair of toothed segments 6, which gear with pinions fon a shaft g, having on it a worm-wheel h, engaged by a worm 5, which is connected by a shaft 6 and bevel-gear 7 to a hand-winch 8, which may be situated in any convenient part of the turret, preferably on the Sightingst-ation. The worm-wheel h is clutched to the shaft g by friction-plates Z, pressed together by spring m. This allows the gun to slip a little in elevation should the gearing be subjected to undue shock when the.-gun is fired.

When the elevating is effected by hydraulic Serial No. 734,643. (No model.)

communicates by a pipe 0 with a valve-box 9, connecting the pipes 3 and 4 of the hydraulic cylinder d, so that when the valve 1 is moved to admit fluid under pressure to either end of the cylinder 01 the fluid acts also in the cylindern, forcingit backward and thereby withdrawing the pressure of the springs m from the friction-plates 1, so that they no longer by frictional pressure clutch the wormwheel 72, to the shaft g, but allow the shaft and its pinionsf to revolve freely While the Worm-wheel It remains at rest. In the valvebox 9 there is a shuttle-valve which when fluid under pressure is admitted to either of the pipes 3 or 4 opens to the pipe 0, but closes the other of the pipes 3 and 4.

When there are two guns side by side, these maybe elevated separately in the manner described, or when both are mounted in one cradle one set of elevating apparatus of the kind described obviously will serve for both.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means we know for carrying the same into practical effect, we c1aim- 1. An apparatus for elevating a gun or pair of guns mounted in a turret or barbette, comprising a hydraulic cylinder having a crosshead carried by its piston-rod and connected by a pair of links to an eye on the lower front portion of the gun-cradle, a pair of toothed segments jointed to the gun-cradle and gearing with pinions on a horizontal shaft carrying aworm-wheel driven by a worm connected by a suitable gear to hand-winches, a series ofspring pressed friction plates adapted to clutch said worm-wheel to said horizontal shaft when said cylinder is not operated, and means for automatically disengaging said plates from their connection with said wormwheel when said cylinder is operated, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for elevating a gun or released.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE. Witnesses to the signature of Arthur Trevor Dawson:

H. J. MORRISS, HENRY KING. Witnesses to the signature of James Horne:

WM. BERESFORD, E. T. TALBOT. 

